Each material, whether natural or man-made, used in our work can be processed or crafted in many different ways to deliver a uniqueness inherent to it. Stone is one such material that can be used on its own in large formats or combined with other smaller stones that are in-laid or embossed to create an entirely new product. The craft of ‘stone in-lay’ has fascinated me since I was a kid as my father and I would play on a stone in-lay marble chess board he’d got from Agra and I’d think to myself—‘I can’t believe this is handcrafted. How did someone actually make this?’ My curiosity from 35 yrs ago led me to this scholarship.
Stone In-Lay aka Pietra Dura or Parchin-Kari
The origins of stone in-lay work go back to the 16th century when it started as ‘Pietra Dura’ in Florence at the peak of the Renaissance under the Medici’s. Hard and semi-precious stones were crafted into intricate shapes and fused together. The technique was often known as ‘painting in stone’, similar yet distinct from mosaics. The floor of Santa Maria del Fiore is the greatest work of the craft in Europe. By the 17th century, this craft spread all the way to the Indian subcontinent where it was enhanced into ‘Parchin Kari’ by the Persian and Mughal artisans. It was here that the true ‘in-lay’ technique was discovered where a hard stone like marble or granite was used as a base and hand carved to fit in semi-precious colored stones, often in floral patterns. The Taj Mahal in India is the most opulent showcase of this in-lay technique and thousands of artisans still keep this ancient craft alive today in the city of Agra.
The Ancient Technique
The 14th generation of the artisans skilled in Parchin-Kari, who are descents of the original craftsmen from 1633 that built the Taj Mahal, use the same tools, process, materials, and recipe even today. Semi-precious stones are cut into thin veneers that are then sanded into delicate shapes using a hand-powered grinder called ‘Saan and Kamaani. The delicate shapes are then arranged in their desired design, usually floral patterns, on a base white marble that has already been cut to shape for its intended final use. The base marble is covered with a contrasting ‘organic henna’ paint before the floral pattern is etched onto it to make it easy for the craftsmen to trace the design while carving.
The semi-precious pieces are then placed aside and the chiseling begins. The artisans spend days hand carving out the floral patterns from the base white marble. The depth of the carving is just enough to set the stone veneers. Simple hand tools are used. Once carving is complete, the semi-precious stones are arranged back into the dry carved base before being individually stuck. The glue is an organic paste made from sugar cane, bees wax, honey, lemon juice, marble dust, and lentils—a recipe that hasn’t changed for centuries. Its consistency is a bit thicker than the typical adhesive glue and hence it takes time to dry and set the stone in place. Once dry, the surface is sanded for a smooth and glowing finish. The most intricate flowers have almost 60 small pieces.
Craftsmen Culture
The artisans work together as a cooperative. Each artisan family specializes in one particular type of floral design and hence, they create work opportunities for each other by collaboration vs competition. Handicraft manufacturers reach out to multiple craftsman families depending on the design. Individual artists retain complete creative freedom for each of their pieces. Design is always radial and symmetrical following the principles of Mughal art and architecture.
In-lay at the Taj
The Taj Mahal was built by the great Mughal emperor Shahjahan in 1632, in memory of his wife Mumtaz, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. To create it, 22,000 skilled architects, inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers, and masons were called from all across India and lands as distant as Persia and Turkey. Because the Islamic faith forbids the use of human faces or imagery in decoration, the surface of the mausoleum relied on symbolism to reflect both natural beauty and divinity. Abstract geometric forms, calligraphy, and floral designs were used to ornate the structure. Flowers were especially considered natural symbols of the divine realm.
The main structure of the Taj Mahal is made from brick and the white ‘Makrana’ marble was applied as a stone veneer. It was brought in from nearly 500 miles away, transported via bullock carts and elephants and contrasts with the red sandstone of the surrounding buildings and walls. The white marble provided a neutral and pure base for a variety of in-lay work. The color of the white marble shifts with the hours of the day: orangish-pink in the rising sun, bright white in strong daylight, golden-hued at sunset, and a mellow glowing white under the moonlight; accentuating the in-lay work within it differently at different times of the day.
The gemstones used at the Taj Mahal came from as far as Afghanistan, Turkey, and China and were picked for their lustrous colors—the blue of lapis lazuli, the green of jade, the red of jasper, the brownish red of carnelian, and the white glittering mother of pearl, among many others. Some of these stones were so precious that they had been looted by invading enemies over the years and have now been restored with faux alternates. One in particular was the red jasper that had the unique quality of glowing when light shined upon it. It is said, the original Taj Mahal would not only glow white on a full moon night but also red, glittering its jasper stones. The calligraphy inlay, in contrast, was always black onyx as it helped the Islamic teachings be visible anytime of the day/night against the white marble.
In addition to all the uniqueness of the stone in-lays at the Taj Mahal— the patterning, symmetry, color compositions, etc—the design application that amazed me the most was the use of the in-lay designs to created 3-dimensional perspectives on the facades of the structure. A herringbone pattern was used at the corner minarets to give the impression that the surface was 8-sides vs 4-sided. The calligraphic writing was smaller at the base and enlarged as the height went up to make sure it was evenly legible from afar.
Truly, the Taj Mahal and its use of the stone in-lay is extraordinary, one has to see it for themselves to understand the craft and the craftsmen. Words and photographs can’t capture it holistically, but i hope you get the idea!